CCS's Addie works off a Dixie Walker screen.
photo by Greg Davick
It was championship night at Notre Dame’s Jim Phifer Gymnasium Friday as both teams from Chattanooga Christian and Notre Dame battled for the top spot in the Division II, Class A District 2 competition.
Notre Dame won the girls game on a buzzer-beating 3 by sophomore Averie Sheppard while the CCS boys took charge in the second half to blow open a close game before prevailing, 58-40.
Silverdale won both consolation gmaes with the girls claiming a 47-32 victory over Grace while Seahawk boys posted a much closer 48-43 victory over Boyd-Buchanan.
The two teams in the championship games will both host opening round games in next week’s region competition while teams in consolation games will all be on the road.
NOTRE DAME GIRLS 52, CCS 51: If the classic line we used to hear on Wild World of Sports about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat ever came into play, it was during the girls game between two pretty good teams that battled their hearts out for the entire 32 minutes.
The Lady Chargers had the upper hand for most of the game and even withstood a frantic rally by Notre Dame in the second half, but it was a 16-year-old sophomore who stole the show with the game-winning shot at the buzzer.
Sheppard was the leading scorer for the Lady Irish as she sank four shots from beyond the arc while scoring 22 points, but none were any bigger or more significant or more exciting than the last one.
CCS had shots the lights out in the first half and carried a commanding 34-22 lead into the dressing room at the half.
The Lady Irish came back in the second half with fire in their eyes and had cut that lead to 44-42 with one quarter remaining.
Notre Dame could have made life a little easier if they had made some free throws, but they only hit four of 10 in that fourth quarter.
Kate Ford hit a pair with 1:29 to play to get the Lady Irish within 51-49 and nobody scored again until Sheppard hit the biggest shot of her life as the final buzzer sounded.
Notre Dame had the ball most of that final minute, but the CCS defense never allowed an open shot. Even that game-winner was well defended as Chattanooga Christian’s Madison Blevins had a hand in the shooter’s face, but the shot went in, Notre Dame claimed the girls title and a massive celebration began at midcourt.
“That was by far the biggest shot of my life. It was a lucky shot for sure, but I had been shooting well all game and wanted the ball on that final possession. I’m just glad my teammates were able to get it to me,” Sheppard said while the post-game awards were being distributed.
Notre Dame coach Jason Hill was also a very happy guy after his girls beat their biggest rival for the third straight time.
“Chattanooga Christian shot the lights out in the first half and had a nice 12-point lead at the break. I kept telling my girls that we couldn’t get it all back at once, but that we needed to make each possession count, handle their pressure and slowly get back in it,” Hill said later.
“We had two options on that last shot and it really didn’t work out like we planned, but congratulations to Averie for making that shot. It was huge,” Hill added.
CCS coach Laura Cottrell said her girls could not have done anything more to defend that last shot.
“That was a tough one,” she said with the biggest understatement of the evening.
“We did all we were supposed to do and we totally laid it on the line in this game. I thought we did a great job defending that last possession, but she made a great shot.
“That hurts right now, but we still have a great opportunity in the region next week and I’m hoping we can build on this game,” the CCS coach concluded.
While Sheppard was tops for Notre Dame with her 22 points, Ford was also in double figures with 11.
Addie Henry was really good for the Lady Chargers as she had the hot hand in the first half with 16 points, including a dozen in the second quarter when CCS stretched a 16-14 lead to a dozen at the half. Henry finished with 26 points.
Kate Dirkse was also outstanding for CCS as she finished with 17.
Notre Dame had an unofficial 29-19 edge on the boards as Mackenzie Johnson had 13 for the Irish and Ford six. Henry was tops for CCS with five while Dixie Walker grabbed four.
Notre Dame is now 22-9 overall while CCS falls to 20-7.
CCS BOYS 58, NOTRE DAME 40: These two teams split during the regular season as each won on the other team’s floor, but the Chargers won the biggest game with the district title on the line.
The Chargers had a 15-12 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter before Notre Dame scored eight straight points for a 20-15 lead at the first break.
Joey Cochran and Derwin Lewis both had 3s in the final minute to give the Irish the upper hand when the first quarter ended.
Freshman Traveon Scott had five points in an 8-0 run for the Chargers to start the second stanza, but the score was knotted at 28-apiece during intermission.
Lewis canned a 3 from the key to start the second half, but the Chargers responded with a 15-0 run to take a 43-31 lead with 1:29 left in the third and they never looked back.
Akil Sledge scored four points in the final minute as Notre Dame got within 43-35 with one quarter remaining, but it never got any closer.
Scott converted a three-point play with 5:22 to play at CCS had the lead at 50-39.
C.J. Greer hit the second of two free throws with 4:10 to play to get Notre Dame within 10 at 50-40, but the Irish never scored again at CCS finished the game on an 8-0 run.
“It started off a whole lot like the girls game as it was close in the first half, but they started missing and our defense started making a few plays,” said CCS coach Eddie Salter after his team had improved to 22-5.
“We just needed to keep our composure and I think we were able to do that, but Traveon Scott is just a freshman. He came in and really gave us a spark as he turned things around for us. All of our young guys played well,” Salter added.
Notre Dame coach Jonathan Adams wasn’t quite as kind with his post-game remarks.
“I thought they imposed their will on us. We knew we had to keep them off the glass to have a chance and we didn’t. We didn’t guard well and had too many turnovers. That’s a recipe for a loss and that’s what we got,” he began.
“I was really disappointed in our effort in the second half. They wanted it more as they simply played harder than we did. I’m thankful that we get to play at home again on Monday and I’m sure it will be a dogfight, but I fully expect us to respond,” Adams said after his team fell to 20-11.
John Rhodes had 14 points to lead the winners while Traveon Scott had a dozen. Trevon Scott was next with 10.
Lewis was the only Notre Dame player in double figures as he finished with 15.
CCS also had an unofficial 24-20 rebounding edge as Trevon Scott had nine and Mondo Ellison five for the Chargers. Greer and Sledge both had six for Notre Dame.
GIRLS CONSOLATION: Audrey Canter had 11 points while teammates Maddie Caldwell and Gracie Renegar both scored 10 as Silverdale slowly pulled away with a scoring advantage in all four quarters.
Julianna Gonzalez was tops for Grace with 22 points.
BOYS CONSOLATION: Caleb Keylon had 13 points as the Silverdale boys were able to withstand a fourth-quarter rally by the Buccaneers.
Garret Gilson scored nine points and Jonathan Sims eight for the winners.
Riley Covington had 13 for Boyd-Buchanan while Will Emrey was next with 10. Eli Evans and Preston Edmondson both followed with nine.
GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP
CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN 16 18 10 7 -- 51
NOTRE DAME 14 8 20 10 -- 52
CCS (51) – Vandergriff, Pruitt, Blevins 6, Henry 26, Davick 2, Walker, Dirkse 17, Jipping.
NOTRE DAME (52) – Sheppard 22, Brown 1, Ball, Raabe, Ford 11, Sims 6, Rabuano, Sparks 4, Johnson 4, Bird 4.
3-POINT GOALS: CCS 2 (Blevins, Henry); Notre Dame 5 (Sheppard 4, Ford).
BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP
NOTRE DAME 20 8 7 5 -- 40
CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN 15 13 15 15 -- 58
NOTRE DAME (40) – Jones, Nelson 2, Greer 7, Cochran 6, Lewis 15, Fillauer, Robinson, Corbitt 2, Summitt, Price, Sledge 8, Turley, Mossing.
CCS (58) – Covington, Trevon Scott 10, Davenport 8, Rowell, Rhodes 14, Houge 6, Stimart 2, Ellison 6, Traveon Scott 12, Van Meter, Spencer, Schuster.
3-POINT GOALS: CCS 3 (Davenport 2, Traveon Scott); Notre Dame 6 (Cochran 2, Lewis 4).
GIRLS CONSOLATION
GRACE 8 6 13 5 -- 32
SILVERDALE 12 9 17 9 -- 47
GRACE (32) – Engelbrecht, Gonzalez 22, Long, Smith 5, Fulgham 4, Smith, Corcoran, Poppert.
SILVERDALE (47) – Marcus, Canter 11, Caldwell 10, Hoover 2, Patrick, Woodard 6, Renegar 10, Lamb 2, Gibson, Montgomery 6, Patrick, Sheridan.
3-POINT GOALS: Grace 2 (Gonzalez 2); Silverdale 2 (Canter, Montgomery).
BOYS CONSOLATION
BOYD-BUCHANAN 7 5 11 14 -- 43
SILVERDALE 11 10 17 16 -- 48
BOYD-BUCHANAN (43) – Evans 9, Oliver, Edmondson 9, Emery 10, Covington 13, Grisham 2, Craw, Beavers, Fryar.
SILVERDALE (48) – Sims 8, Crockett 1, Sparkman 2, Keylon 13, Johnson 4, Hannah 7, Gibson 9, Sanders 4, Mench.
3-POINT GOALS: Boyd-Buchanan 6 (Evans 2, Edmondson, Covington 3); Silverdale 1 (Keylon).
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)